Creamy Tomato Cajun Shrimp Pasta

When I’m in need of some comfort food that is on the lighter side but filling and full of flavor, this Creamy Tomato Cajun Shrimp Pasta is my favorite meal to make. The ingredients are simple and the recipe is easy to follow on a busy weeknight. I’ve included my Cajun seasoning recipe below and I will say that it is my baseline of measurements for spice. If you’ve followed me for even a few Dinners We Love recipes, you’ll quickly notice that I’m heavy handed with the spice and the seasoning. I like my garlic and I like a lot of flavor. When I make this dish, I am very liberal with my seasoning so when you make this, measure with your heart and add as much or as little heat as you desire.

If you’re in a hurry or short on produce, simply use a can of diced tomatoes in place of plum tomatoes. I will always recommend fresh basil however if you’re out or it’s hard to find at the store (which has definitely been the case lately), try substituting with oregano or parsley. If shrimp isn’t your thing, try making this with chicken. I like to top mine with a generous sprinkle or freshly grated parmesan, asiago, Romano, or a mixture of each. For the sake of time with this recipe we are pan cooking the shrimp but grilling them tastes amazing and adds that much more flavor. For this recipe, any pasta will do! I am partial to bowties, penne or rigatoni and we’ve tried all sorts of pasta from whole wheat to gluten-free. For a lighter sauce, substitute heavy cream for milk or cashew milk but do note that you won’t have the rich creamy sauce that this dish is all about.

Let’s get cooking!

Creamy Tomato Cajun Shrimp Pasta

INGREDIENTS

6 to 8 ounces preferred pasta

Cajun seasoning (recipe below)

Old Bay seasoning (optional)

1 to 1 ½ pounds of medium wild caught American Shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 cups peeled and chopped plum tomatoes with their juice

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon honey

¾ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to

Freshly grated parmesan, to taste (for topping)

For the Cajun seasoning:

3 tablespoons ground paprika

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

To make the Pasta

Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

Season shrimp generously with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium to high heat. Once melted and bubbly, add the shrimp and stir continuously until shrimp become pink and are no longer translucent. Remove shrimp and set aside, leaving drippings in the pan.

Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for one minute. Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and honey. Stir in cream and second tablespoon of butter. Add shrimp back to the skillet and stir to combine. Add cooked pasta to skillet along with parsley and basil, tossing until combined. If the sauce is too thick, now is the time to add reserved pasta water. Transfer pasta to serving dish and garnish with cheese(s) and additional salt, pepper and basil.